Earthquaker Devices Westwood Translucent Drive Manipulator

The EarthQuaker Devices Westwood is a translucent overdrive manipulator that is perfect for pushing low-wattage amps into just about anything – from cutting, edge-of-breakup rhythm tones to articulate, singing lead tones packed with harmonics and sustain. It features a powerful active EQ for the best tone-tweaking capabilities, and responds brilliantly to any changes made in volume or tone on your guitar, including pick attack. The Westwood proudly features an all-analog signal path as well as true bypass circuitry.

Highlights

Perfect for pushing low-wattage amps into anything from cutting, edge-of-breakup rhythm tones, all the way to articulate, singing lead tones stacked high with pleasing even-order harmonics and sweet, sweet sustain.

It’s powerful active EQ section with center-detent pots has up to 20dB of cut and/or boost to tame icepick-y single coils, give humbuckers some airy top end sparkle, or cut the mud out of a dark sounding rig.

The drive control sets the level of gain for a near-clean boost at lower settings, to rich, bell-like jangle and chime, all the way to soaring lead tones that are cutting and distinct, but never harsh.

Responds to changes in guitar volume and tone controls at any setting

Varying the intensity of your pick attack reveals the subtle nuances of your technique and tone

Treble affects the area around 2kHz and is handy for taming icepick-y single coils, or giving humbuckers a lift to add an open and airy top end sparkle.

Bass control operates around 80Hz and can be used to tighten up the low end of an already dark sounding guitar, or if turned up, will soften your attack, and introduce tube-like sag for a “browned out” sound with plenty of woody, organic bottom end thump that’ll make chords think and chunky, while single notes bloom with ringing sustain.